Последний из Могикан
Chapter 2
Aftersimperinginasmallway,likeonewhosemodestyprohibitedamoreopenexpressionofhisadmirationofawitticismthatwasperfectlyunintelligibletohishearers,hecontinued:"Itisnotprudentforanyoneofmyprofessiontobetoofamiliarwiththoseheistoinstruct;forwhichreasonIfollownotthelineofthearmy;besideswhich,Iconcludethatagentlemanofyourcharacterhasthebestjudgmentinmattersofwayfaring;Ihavethereforedecidedtojoincompany,inorderthattheridemaybemadeagreeable,andpartakeofsocialcommunion."
"Amostarbitrary,ifnotahastydecision!"exclaimedHeyward,undecidedwhethertogiveventtohisgrowinganger,ortolaughintheother’sface."Butyouspeakofinstruction,andofaprofession;areyouanadjuncttotheprovincialcorps,asamasterofthenoblescienceofdefenceandoffence;or,perhaps,youareonewhodrawslinesandangles,underthepretenceofexpoundingthemathematics?"
Thestrangerregardedhisinterrogatoramoment,inwonder;andthen,losingeverymarkofself-satisfactioninanexpressionofsolemnhumility,heanswered:—
"Ofoffence,Ihopethereisnone,toeitherparty:ofdefence,Imakenone—byGod’sgoodmercy,havingcommittednopalpablesinsincelastentreatinghispardoninggrace.Iunderstandnotyourallusionsaboutlinesandangles;andIleaveexpoundingtothosewhohavebeencalledandsetapartforthatholyoffice.
